SF driver targets cyclists in overnight rampage

I’m hearing news reports this morning that a maniac driving a car in San Francisco deliberately targeted and hit several cyclists.

From SFist:

Police say that a driver targeting cyclists injured four people in the Mission and Potrero districts on Wednesday night. A male driver allegedly went after cyclists in four different locations in San Francisco: “in the 2700 block of Harrison Street, the 2800 block of 24th Street, at the intersection of 23rd and Pennsylvania streets, and at 17th and Missouri street.”

The motorist is still at large, but he wrecked his vehicle (a Nissan Rogue of all things) and apparently left his wallet behind in the vehicle. Sports radio talk show host Tony Kornheiser, who once advocated running cyclists down as a joke, could not be reached for comment. The injured cyclists were treated for their injuries and all are expected to recover.

The SF Chronicle story on this maniac has the usual idiot user comments, but I like this one from user trencherman:

The comments by certain drivers here betray the sadly common lack of empathy and sense of community of many California drivers these days. I commute every day on 280. At least four times a week I see people

– speeding up to prevent someone from passing them (literally)
– merging with only a few feet of space
– streaking across several lanes to an exit
– dialing or texting on their phones

It’s as though being in a car confers some kind of perceived immunity to being part of a society. Courtesy, patience and just plain awareness of others are absent. Driving is not a competition.

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4 Comments

This is sad, I hope all the cyclist recover. However, I do not see the need to bring in TONY Kornheiser into the post. If you listened to his comments it was clearly a joke, and he has been very apologetic even calling Lance Armstrong to talk to him about it.

…as far as t-korn being brought into the discussion, that's why “jokes” of that nature are not even close to being funny, apologizes or not…

…to a stable, well adjusted human being, that kind of remark is hopefully at best, off color…but to the wrong set of ears, that “joke” can be an inciting comment…if you don't believe me, take any type of cycling & car related situation which has resulted in death or serious injury & has been reported in any on-line newspaper……simply read the comment section thoroughly after a day or two…it is truly amazing the disregard certain people have for the lives of cyclist's for one particular reason……the reason ???……because we are on a bikes…in the eyes of many, you are in the wrong, no matter the details, simply because you are on a bike…to those people, you are stupid for infringing on their domain as motor vehicle users because you dare to ride a bike on public roads…

…what they're saying in other words; “you deserve what you get…don't expect empathy from me”……on occasion a few will even let you know “i just might “buzz” you to remind you of how vulnerable you are”…

…that's why t-korns remarks aren't funny especially in light of people like this sf driver…hopefully there is enough info to bring him to justice…

I think it is very appropriate to bring up Mr. Kornheiser's remarks. While he may have meant it as a joke, there are many out there who do not. You see the very open anger people have to these remarks because too many of us have experienced the behavior he is “joking” about directed at us.

I live in SF and photograph and write about SF riders everyday. There is a better than good chance that I have photographed at least one of these riders and that I have at the very least said hello to them if not actually know them. I was riding exactly in the area this occurred at the exact time it was occurring. Either myself or anyone of the 20 people I was riding with could have been victims of this person .

Things like this make it difficult to excuse Mr. K's comments as “entertainment”. I am fairly certain that that person lying in critical condition in SF General would not find them particularly funny either.